HB4661 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 17212 SPS 30632 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4661

Introduced 2/3/2026, by Rep. Ann M. Williams

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

25 ILCS 115/4	from Ch. 63, par. 15.1
30 ILCS 105/25	from Ch. 127, par. 161

Amends the General Assembly Compensation Act. Provides that any utility bill for service provided to a member's district office in the immediately preceding fiscal year may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditures in the current fiscal year. Provides that any utility bill for service provided to a member's district office in fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2017, as well as any interest or penalties on those amounts, may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditures in any fiscal year. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming changes. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The General Assembly Compensation Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(25 ILCS 115/4) (from Ch. 63, par. 15.1)

Sec. 4. Office allowance. Beginning July 1, 2001 and through July 1, 2020, each member of the House of Representatives is authorized to approve the expenditure of not more than $61,000 per year and each member of the Senate is authorized to approve the expenditure of not more than $73,000 per year to pay for "personal services", "contractual services", "commodities", "printing", "travel", "operation of automotive equipment", "telecommunications services", as defined in the State Finance Act, and the compensation of one or more legislative assistants authorized pursuant to this Section, in connection with his or her legislative duties and not in connection with any political campaign. On July 1, 2002 and on July 1 of each year thereafter, the amount authorized per year under this Section for each member of the Senate and each member of the House of Representatives shall be increased by a percentage increase equivalent to the lesser of (i) the increase in the designated cost of living index or (ii) 5%. The designated cost of living index is the index known as the "Employment Cost Index, Wages and Salaries, By Occupation and Industry Groups: State and Local Government Workers: Public Administration" as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for the calendar year immediately preceding the year of the respective July 1st increase date. The increase shall be added to the then current amount, and the adjusted amount so determined shall be the annual amount beginning July 1 of the increase year until July 1 of the next year. No increase under this provision shall be less than zero.

Beginning July 1, 2021, each member of the House of Representatives is authorized to approve the expenditure of not more than $179,000 per year and each member of the Senate is authorized to approve the expenditure of not more than $214,000 per year to pay for "personal services", "contractual services", "commodities", "printing", "travel", "operation of automotive equipment", "telecommunications services", as defined in the State Finance Act, and the compensation of one or more legislative assistants authorized pursuant to this Section, in connection with his or her legislative duties and not in connection with any political campaign. On July 1, 2022 and on July 1 of each year thereafter, the amount authorized per year under this Section for each member of the Senate and each member of the House of Representatives shall be increased by a percentage increase equivalent to the lesser of (i) the increase in the designated cost of living index or (ii) 5%. The designated cost of living index is the index known as the "Employment Cost Index, Wages and Salaries, By Occupation and Industry Groups: State and Local Government Workers: Public Administration" as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for the calendar year immediately preceding the year of the respective July 1st increase date. The increase shall be added to the then current amount, and the adjusted amount so determined shall be the annual amount beginning July 1 of the increase year until July 1 of the next year. No increase under this provision shall be less than zero.

A member may purchase office equipment if the member certifies to the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House, as applicable, that the purchase price, whether paid in lump sum or installments, amounts to less than would be charged for renting or leasing the equipment over its anticipated useful life. All such equipment must be purchased through the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House, as applicable, for proper identification and verification of purchase.

Each member of the General Assembly is authorized to employ one or more legislative assistants, who shall be solely under the direction and control of that member, for the purpose of assisting the member in the performance of his or her official duties. A legislative assistant may be employed pursuant to this Section as a full-time employee, part-time employee, or contractual employee, at the discretion of the member. If employed as a State employee, a legislative assistant shall receive employment benefits on the same terms and conditions that apply to other employees of the General Assembly. Each member shall adopt and implement personnel policies for legislative assistants under his or her direction and control relating to work time requirements, documentation for reimbursement for travel on official State business, compensation, and the earning and accrual of State benefits for those legislative assistants who may be eligible to receive those benefits. The policies shall also require legislative assistants to periodically submit time sheets documenting, in quarter-hour increments, the time spent each day on official State business. The policies shall require the time sheets to be submitted on paper, electronically, or both and to be maintained in either paper or electronic format by the applicable fiscal office for a period of at least 2 years. Contractual employees may satisfy the time sheets requirement by complying with the terms of their contract, which shall provide for a means of compliance with this requirement. A member may satisfy the requirements of this paragraph by adopting and implementing the personnel policies promulgated by that member's legislative leader under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act with respect to that member's legislative assistants.

As used in this Section the term "personal services" shall include contributions of the State under the Federal Insurance Contribution Act and under Article 14 of the Illinois Pension Code. As used in this Section the term "contractual services" shall not include improvements to real property unless those improvements are the obligation of the lessee under the lease agreement. Beginning July 1, 1989, as used in the Section, the term "travel" shall be limited to travel in connection with a member's legislative duties and not in connection with any political campaign. Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, as used in this Section, the term "printing" includes, but is not limited to, newsletters, brochures, certificates, congratulatory mailings, greeting or welcome messages, anniversary or birthday cards, and congratulations for prominent achievement cards. As used in this Section, the term "printing" includes fees for non-substantive resolutions charged by the Clerk of the House of Representatives under subsection (c-5) of Section 1 of the Legislative Materials Act. No newsletter or brochure that is paid for, in whole or in part, with funds provided under this Section may be printed or mailed during a period beginning February 1 of the year of a general primary election, except that in 2022 the period shall begin on May 15, 2022, and ending the day after the general primary election and during a period beginning September 1 of the year of a general election and ending the day after the general election, except that such a newsletter or brochure may be mailed during those times if it is mailed to a constituent in response to that constituent's inquiry concerning the needs of that constituent or questions raised by that constituent. The printing or mailing of any newsletter or brochure paid for, in whole or in part, with funds under this Section between February 1, 2022 and the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly shall not be considered a violation of this Section. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to authorize expenditures for lodging and meals while a member is in attendance at sessions of the General Assembly.

Any utility bill for service provided to a member's district office for a period including portions of 2 consecutive fiscal years may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditure in either fiscal year, any utility bill for service provided to a member's district office in the immediately preceding fiscal year may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditures in the current fiscal year, and any utility bill for service provided to a General Assembly member's district office in fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2017, as well as any interest or penalties on those amounts, may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditures in any fiscal year.

If a vacancy occurs in the office of Senator or Representative in the General Assembly, any office equipment in the possession of the vacating member shall transfer to the member's successor; if the successor does not want such equipment, it shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Senate or Clerk of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, and if not wanted by other members of the General Assembly then to the Department of Central Management Services for treatment as surplus property under the State Property Control Act. Each member, on or before June 30th of each year, shall conduct an inventory of all equipment purchased pursuant to this Act. Such inventory shall be filed with the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House, as the case may be. Whenever a vacancy occurs, the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House, as the case may be, shall conduct an inventory of equipment purchased.

In the event that a member leaves office during his or her term, any unexpended or unobligated portion of the allowance granted under this Section shall lapse. The vacating member's successor shall be granted an allowance in an amount, rounded to the nearest dollar, computed by dividing the annual allowance by 365 and multiplying the quotient by the number of days remaining in the fiscal year.

From any appropriation for the purposes of this Section for a fiscal year which overlaps 2 General Assemblies, no more than 1/2 of the annual allowance per member may be spent or encumbered by any member of either the outgoing or incoming General Assembly, except that any member of the incoming General Assembly who was a member of the outgoing General Assembly may encumber or spend any portion of his annual allowance within the fiscal year.

The appropriation for the annual allowances permitted by this Section shall be included in an appropriation to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for their respective members. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall voucher for payment individual members' expenditures from their annual office allowances to the State Comptroller, subject to the authority of the Comptroller under Section 9 of the State Comptroller Act.

Nothing in this Section prohibits the expenditure of personal funds or the funds of a political committee controlled by an officeholder to defray the customary and reasonable expenses of an officeholder in connection with the performance of governmental and public service functions.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)

Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by changing Section 25 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/25) (from Ch. 127, par. 161)

Sec. 25. Fiscal year limitations.

(a) All appropriations shall be available for expenditure for the fiscal year or for a lesser period if the Act making that appropriation so specifies. A deficiency or emergency appropriation shall be available for expenditure only through June 30 of the year when the Act making that appropriation is enacted unless that Act otherwise provides.

(b) Outstanding liabilities as of June 30, payable from appropriations which have otherwise expired, may be paid out of the expiring appropriations during the 2-month period ending at the close of business on August 31. Any service involving professional or artistic skills or any personal services by an employee whose compensation is subject to income tax withholding must be performed as of June 30 of the fiscal year in order to be considered an "outstanding liability as of June 30" that is thereby eligible for payment out of the expiring appropriation.

(b-1) However, payment of tuition reimbursement claims under Section 14-7.03 or 18-3 of the School Code may be made by the State Board of Education from its appropriations for those respective purposes for any fiscal year, even though the claims reimbursed by the payment may be claims attributable to a prior fiscal year, and payments may be made at the direction of the State Superintendent of Education from the fund from which the appropriation is made without regard to any fiscal year limitations, except as required by subsection (j) of this Section. Beginning on June 30, 2021, payment of tuition reimbursement claims under Section 14-7.03 or 18-3 of the School Code as of June 30, payable from appropriations that have otherwise expired, may be paid out of the expiring appropriation during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31.

(b-2) (Blank).

(b-2.5) (Blank).

(b-2.6) (Blank).

(b-2.6a) (Blank).

(b-2.6b) (Blank).

(b-2.6c) (Blank).

(b-2.6d) All outstanding liabilities as of June 30, 2020, payable from appropriations that would otherwise expire at the conclusion of the lapse period for fiscal year 2020, and interest penalties payable on those liabilities under the State Prompt Payment Act, may be paid out of the expiring appropriations until December 31, 2020, without regard to the fiscal year in which the payment is made, as long as vouchers for the liabilities are received by the Comptroller no later than September 30, 2020.

(b-2.6e) All outstanding liabilities as of June 30, 2021, payable from appropriations that would otherwise expire at the conclusion of the lapse period for fiscal year 2021, and interest penalties payable on those liabilities under the State Prompt Payment Act, may be paid out of the expiring appropriations until September 30, 2021, without regard to the fiscal year in which the payment is made.

(b-2.7) For fiscal years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, interest penalties payable under the State Prompt Payment Act associated with a voucher for which payment is issued after June 30 may be paid out of the next fiscal year's appropriation. The future year appropriation must be for the same purpose and from the same fund as the original payment. An interest penalty voucher submitted against a future year appropriation must be submitted within 60 days after the issuance of the associated voucher, except that, for fiscal year 2018 only, an interest penalty voucher submitted against a future year appropriation must be submitted within 60 days of June 5, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-10). The Comptroller must issue the interest payment within 60 days after acceptance of the interest voucher.

(b-3) Medical payments may be made by the Department of Veterans Affairs from its appropriations for those purposes for any fiscal year, without regard to the fact that the medical services being compensated for by such payment may have been rendered in a prior fiscal year, except as required by subsection (j) of this Section. Beginning on June 30, 2021, medical payments payable from appropriations that have otherwise expired may be paid out of the expiring appropriation during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31.

(b-4) Medical payments and child care payments may be made by the Department of Human Services (as successor to the Department of Public Aid) from appropriations for those purposes for any fiscal year, without regard to the fact that the medical or child care services being compensated for by such payment may have been rendered in a prior fiscal year; and payments may be made at the direction of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (or successor agency) from the Health Insurance Reserve Fund without regard to any fiscal year limitations, except as required by subsection (j) of this Section. Beginning on June 30, 2021, medical and child care payments made by the Department of Human Services and payments made at the discretion of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (or successor agency) from the Health Insurance Reserve Fund and payable from appropriations that have otherwise expired may be paid out of the expiring appropriation during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31.

(b-5) Medical payments may be made by the Department of Human Services from its appropriations relating to substance abuse treatment services for any fiscal year, without regard to the fact that the medical services being compensated for by such payment may have been rendered in a prior fiscal year, provided the payments are made on a fee-for-service basis consistent with requirements established for Medicaid reimbursement by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, except as required by subsection (j) of this Section. Beginning on June 30, 2021, medical payments made by the Department of Human Services relating to substance abuse treatment services payable from appropriations that have otherwise expired may be paid out of the expiring appropriation during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31.

(b-6) (Blank).

(b-7) Payments may be made in accordance with a plan authorized by paragraph (11) or (12) of Section 405-105 of the Department of Central Management Services Law from appropriations for those payments without regard to fiscal year limitations.

(b-8) Reimbursements to eligible airport sponsors for the construction or upgrading of Automated Weather Observation Systems may be made by the Department of Transportation from appropriations for those purposes for any fiscal year, without regard to the fact that the qualification or obligation may have occurred in a prior fiscal year, provided that at the time the expenditure was made the project had been approved by the Department of Transportation prior to June 1, 2012 and, as a result of recent changes in federal funding formulas, can no longer receive federal reimbursement.

(b-9) (Blank).

(c) Further, payments may be made by the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Services (acting as successor to the Department of Public Health under the Department of Human Services Act) from their respective appropriations for grants for medical care to or on behalf of premature and high-mortality risk infants and their mothers and for grants for supplemental food supplies provided under the United States Department of Agriculture Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program, for any fiscal year without regard to the fact that the services being compensated for by such payment may have been rendered in a prior fiscal year, except as required by subsection (j) of this Section. Beginning on June 30, 2021, payments made by the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Services from their respective appropriations for grants for medical care to or on behalf of premature and high-mortality risk infants and their mothers and for grants for supplemental food supplies provided under the United States Department of Agriculture Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program payable from appropriations that have otherwise expired may be paid out of the expiring appropriations during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31.

(d) The Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Services (acting as successor to the Department of Public Health under the Department of Human Services Act) shall each annually submit to the State Comptroller, Senate President, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, and the respective Chairmen and Minority Spokesmen of the Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House, on or before December 31, a report of fiscal year funds used to pay for services provided in any prior fiscal year. This report shall document by program or service category those expenditures from the most recently completed fiscal year used to pay for services provided in prior fiscal years.

(e) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Human Services (acting as successor to the Department of Public Aid), and the Department of Human Services making fee-for-service payments relating to substance abuse treatment services provided during a previous fiscal year shall each annually submit to the State Comptroller, Senate President, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, the respective Chairmen and Minority Spokesmen of the Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House, on or before November 30, a report that shall document by program or service category those expenditures from the most recently completed fiscal year used to pay for (i) services provided in prior fiscal years and (ii) services for which claims were received in prior fiscal years.

(f) The Department of Human Services (as successor to the Department of Public Aid) shall annually submit to the State Comptroller, Senate President, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, and the respective Chairmen and Minority Spokesmen of the Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House, on or before December 31, a report of fiscal year funds used to pay for services (other than medical care) provided in any prior fiscal year. This report shall document by program or service category those expenditures from the most recently completed fiscal year used to pay for services provided in prior fiscal years.

(g) In addition, each annual report required to be submitted by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services under subsection (e) shall include the following information with respect to the State's Medicaid program:

(1) Explanations of the exact causes of the variance between the previous year's estimated and actual liabilities.

(2) Factors affecting the Department of Healthcare and Family Services' liabilities, including, but not limited to, numbers of aid recipients, levels of medical service utilization by aid recipients, and inflation in the cost of medical services.

(3) The results of the Department's efforts to combat fraud and abuse.

(h) As provided in Section 4 of the General Assembly Compensation Act, any utility bill for service provided to a General Assembly member's district office for a period including portions of 2 consecutive fiscal years may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditure in either fiscal year, any utility bill for service provided to a member's district office in the immediately preceding fiscal year may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditures in the current fiscal year, and any utility bill for service provided to a General Assembly member's district office in fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2017, as well as any interest or penalties on those amounts, may be paid from funds appropriated for such expenditures in any fiscal year.

(i) An agency which administers a fund classified by the Comptroller as an internal service fund may issue rules for:

(1) billing user agencies in advance for payments or authorized inter-fund transfers based on estimated charges for goods or services;

(2) issuing credits, refunding through inter-fund transfers, or reducing future inter-fund transfers during the subsequent fiscal year for all user agency payments or authorized inter-fund transfers received during the prior fiscal year which were in excess of the final amounts owed by the user agency for that period; and

(3) issuing catch-up billings to user agencies during the subsequent fiscal year for amounts remaining due when payments or authorized inter-fund transfers received from the user agency during the prior fiscal year were less than the total amount owed for that period. User agencies are authorized to reimburse internal service funds for catch-up billings by vouchers drawn against their respective appropriations for the fiscal year in which the catch-up billing was issued or by increasing an authorized inter-fund transfer during the current fiscal year. For the purposes of this Act, "inter-fund transfers" means transfers without the use of the voucher-warrant process, as authorized by Section 9.01 of the State Comptroller Act.

(i-1) Beginning on July 1, 2021, all outstanding liabilities, not payable during the 4-month lapse period as described in subsections (b-1), (b-3), (b-4), (b-5), and (c) of this Section, that are made from appropriations for that purpose for any fiscal year, without regard to the fact that the services being compensated for by those payments may have been rendered in a prior fiscal year, are limited to only those claims that have been incurred but for which a proper bill or invoice as defined by the State Prompt Payment Act has not been received by September 30th following the end of the fiscal year in which the service was rendered.

(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the aggregate amount of payments to be made without regard for fiscal year limitations as contained in subsections (b-1), (b-3), (b-4), (b-5), and (c) of this Section, and determined by using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, shall not exceed the following amounts:

(1) $6,000,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2012;

(2) $5,300,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2013;

(3) $4,600,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2014;

(4) $4,000,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2015;

(5) $3,300,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2016;

(6) $2,600,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2017;

(7) $2,000,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2018;

(8) $1,300,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2019;

(9) $600,000,000 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2020; and

(10) $0 for outstanding liabilities related to fiscal year 2021 and fiscal years thereafter.

(k) Department of Healthcare and Family Services Medical Assistance Payments.

(1) Definition of Medical Assistance.

For purposes of this subsection, the term "Medical Assistance" shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, medical programs and services authorized under Titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act, the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Children's Health Insurance Program Act, the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Act, the Long Term Acute Care Hospital Quality Improvement Transfer Program Act, and medical care to or on behalf of persons suffering from chronic renal disease, persons suffering from hemophilia, and victims of sexual assault.

(2) Limitations on Medical Assistance payments that may be paid from future fiscal year appropriations.

(A) The maximum amounts of annual unpaid Medical Assistance bills received and recorded by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services on or before June 30th of a particular fiscal year attributable in aggregate to the General Revenue Fund, Healthcare Provider Relief Fund, Tobacco Settlement Recovery Fund, Long-Term Care Provider Fund, and the Drug Rebate Fund that may be paid in total by the Department from future fiscal year Medical Assistance appropriations to those funds are: $700,000,000 for fiscal year 2013 and $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(B) Bills for Medical Assistance services rendered in a particular fiscal year, but received and recorded by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services after June 30th of that fiscal year, may be paid from either appropriations for that fiscal year or future fiscal year appropriations for Medical Assistance. Such payments shall not be subject to the requirements of subparagraph (A).

(C) Medical Assistance bills received by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in a particular fiscal year, but subject to payment amount adjustments in a future fiscal year may be paid from a future fiscal year's appropriation for Medical Assistance. Such payments shall not be subject to the requirements of subparagraph (A).

(D) Medical Assistance payments made by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services from funds other than those specifically referenced in subparagraph (A) may be made from appropriations for those purposes for any fiscal year without regard to the fact that the Medical Assistance services being compensated for by such payment may have been rendered in a prior fiscal year. Such payments shall not be subject to the requirements of subparagraph (A).

(3) Extended lapse period for Department of Healthcare and Family Services Medical Assistance payments. Notwithstanding any other State law to the contrary, outstanding Department of Healthcare and Family Services Medical Assistance liabilities, as of June 30th, payable from appropriations which have otherwise expired, may be paid out of the expiring appropriations during the 4-month period ending at the close of business on October 31st.

(l) The changes to this Section made by Public Act 97-691 shall be effective for payment of Medical Assistance bills incurred in fiscal year 2013 and future fiscal years. The changes to this Section made by Public Act 97-691 shall not be applied to Medical Assistance bills incurred in fiscal year 2012 or prior fiscal years.

(m) The Comptroller must issue payments against outstanding liabilities that were received prior to the lapse period deadlines set forth in this Section as soon thereafter as practical, but no payment may be issued after the 4 months following the lapse period deadline without the signed authorization of the Comptroller and the Governor.

(Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.